Smart TV Cast para Chromecast does the one thing it advertises: it shows the phone's screen on a Chromecast, Fire TV, or smart television over Wi-Fi. The flow is genuinely fast, the device discovery handles most home networks without fuss, and a side panel adds quick shortcuts for casting photos, music, and web videos. The issues come from the layer around that. Full-screen ads land between casts, several quality presets sit behind a subscription, and content protected by DRM, including Netflix, Disney+, and most live-TV streams, plays back as a black rectangle. The seven Smart TV Cast para Chromecast alternatives below cover the same job, get your phone onto the TV, with cleaner trade-offs around ads, DRM, and what kinds of devices they actually support.
We grouped the picks by what you actually want to put on the screen. If it's the whole phone display, you need a true screen-mirror app. If it's a video, a photo, or a song stored locally, a media-casting app is faster and looks better. If it's a YouTube clip or a web-hosted video, a dedicated web-cast tool handles DRM the way the platform expects. The right pick depends on which of those three jobs you do most often.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | DRM-protected video | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Home | Chromecast and Google TV households | Yes, fully free | Yes, via the cast button in supported apps | Native cast targets across the home |
| LocalCast | Local files from phone or NAS | Yes, ad-supported | No | Casts subtitles and audio tracks separately |
| BubbleUPnP | Power users with a media library | Yes, 15-minute cap per session | Partial, via re-encoding | DLNA, Chromecast, and home-server streaming in one app |
| AllCast | Quick photo and video casts | Yes, 5-minute cap per session | No | Multi-target cast: Chromecast, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Xbox |
| AirScreen | Receiving casts on Android TV or a Fire Stick | Yes, ad-supported | No | Turns an Android device into a Chromecast, AirPlay, and Miracast receiver |
| Screen Mirroring | Whole-screen mirroring on most Smart TVs | Yes, ad-supported | No | Discovers Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense, TCL without setup |
| TV Cast Anyview | A close, clean replacement for the same workflow | Yes, ad-supported | No | Mirrors and casts photos, music, and web video without a premium prompt |
Why people leave Smart TV Cast para Chromecast
DRM content does not cast. Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Globoplay, and most live-TV apps refuse to mirror through a third-party screen-mirror layer. Reviewers report seeing the audio play through the TV speakers while the video stays a black rectangle. This is not a bug in the app, it's how the platforms protect their content, but it's a real reason to switch to a cast app that uses each platform's own cast button instead.
The ad load is heavy. Full-screen ads on launch, between casts, and after stopping a session each add several seconds. People who cast a photo, then a song, then another photo end up watching three ads to push three pieces of media.
Premium upsells block the higher quality presets. The 1080p and audio-bitrate options open a paywall on first tap. The free tier defaults to a lower preset that softens text-heavy mirrors.
The Brazilian Portuguese localization sometimes lags the English build. Some menus and error messages stay in English, which makes setup confusing for the Brazilian audience the app's name targets.
The best Smart TV Cast para Chromecast alternatives
Google Home, best for Chromecast and Google TV households
Google Home is the obvious starting point for anyone with a Chromecast, Chromecast with Google TV, or a TV that runs Google TV under the hood. Google Home vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast does not need a third-party mirror layer at all. Streaming apps like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, Globoplay, and Spotify use the cast button native to each app, which keeps DRM happy and the picture sharp.
For everything that doesn't have a cast button, Google Home adds a "Cast my screen" tile that mirrors the whole phone display to the same target. The app also doubles as a smart-home hub for lights, thermostats, and the rest of the household.
Where it falls short: It only works with Chromecast, Google TV, and Android TV targets. Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Roku, and Apple TV need a different app. The screen-mirror tile occasionally takes a few seconds to find the target on networks with strict client isolation.
Pricing:
- Free: Full app, all cast targets, smart-home hub
- vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Free, no ads, no paywall, works with DRM video through each streaming app's cast button
Migrating from Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Sign in with the Google account that owns the Chromecast or Google TV. The cast targets show up under Devices the moment the TV is on the network.
Bottom line: Pick Google Home if your TV plays Google TV or you stream through a Chromecast. It is the free, no-ad first choice.
LocalCast, best for local files from your phone or NAS
LocalCast by Stefan Pledl casts files rather than the screen. LocalCast vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast trades the whole-display mirror for a sharper, lighter pipeline that streams the video directly to the TV's media player. The result is smoother playback, better quality at lower bandwidth, and a phone that can lock its screen without dropping the cast.
The app handles local files in the gallery, files from a connected USB drive on supported phones, files served by a DLNA or UPnP server on the network, and Google Drive content. Subtitle and audio-track switching work mid-stream. Targets include Chromecast, Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Smart TVs from most major brands, and Xbox.
Where it falls short: It does not mirror the phone screen. DRM-protected video from Netflix or Disney+ does not work. Ads run in the free build between casts.
Pricing:
- Free: Full casting, all targets, ad-supported
- Paid: A modest one-time upgrade removes ads and unlocks remote-folder browsing on cloud drives
- vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Better quality on file playback, no screen mirror, cleaner free tier on the paid version
Migrating from Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Open LocalCast, point it at your media folder or the NAS, and the app discovers cast targets within a few seconds.
Bottom line: Pick LocalCast if most of what ends up on the TV is video files you already own.
BubbleUPnP, best for power users with a media library
BubbleUPnP is the deepest media-casting app on Android. BubbleUPnP vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast is not the same kind of tool. Bubble does not mirror the phone, it connects a DLNA server to a Chromecast or DLNA renderer, transcodes the file on the fly if the target cannot play it natively, and even gateways your home library to the open internet so you can stream from outside the LAN.
The app supports Chromecast, Android TV, DLNA renderers, NAS shares from Synology, QNAP, and TrueNAS, Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin libraries, and Google Drive. The transcoding layer is the standout: an MKV with a track your TV doesn't understand gets re-encoded on the phone or a paired desktop server in real time.
Where it falls short: The free tier caps each session at 15 minutes. The interface is busy and clearly built for power users. There is no screen-mirror mode.
Pricing:
- Free: Full casting, 15-minute session cap
- Paid: A one-time license removes the cap and unlocks the cloud and remote-streaming features
- vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Better for power users, worse for first-time casual use
Migrating from Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Add your DLNA server, NAS, or Plex account in the Library settings. Casting targets self-discover.
Bottom line: Pick BubbleUPnP if you have a NAS, a Plex server, or a media library that your TV can't always read.
AllCast, best for quick photo and video casts
AllCast by ClockworkMod is the workhorse pick. AllCast vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast hits more cast targets than any single app on this list, including Chromecast, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Xbox One and Series consoles, smart TVs from Samsung, LG, and Sony, plus most DLNA renderers.
The app keeps the UI deliberately simple: a list of targets, a list of files, tap to cast. Photos, videos, and music all work. The original AllCast app is now over a decade old and still updated, which is rare for the category.
Where it falls short: The free tier caps each session at five minutes. The UI looks dated next to LocalCast or BubbleUPnP. DRM video does not cast.
Pricing:
- Free: Full target list, 5-minute session cap, ad-supported
- Paid: A one-time premium removes the cap and ads
- vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Wider target list, harder limit on free sessions
Migrating from Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Open AllCast, accept the network permission, tap the target. There is nothing else to configure.
Bottom line: Pick AllCast if you cast to mixed-brand TVs and consoles and the five-minute cap is enough for short clips.
AirScreen, best for receiving casts on Android TV or a Fire Stick
AirScreen flips the problem. AirScreen vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast is not a sender, it's a receiver: install it on the Android TV, Fire Stick, or any older Android phone or tablet plugged into the TV's HDMI, and that device becomes a Chromecast, AirPlay, Miracast, and DLNA target. The phone in your hand then casts to it with each platform's own button.
The use case is older or budget TVs that don't have native Chromecast or AirPlay support. A 30 dollar Fire Stick running AirScreen turns into a multi-protocol cast target that accepts iPhones, iPads, Macs, Windows laptops, and Android phones equally.
Where it falls short: The TV-side install needs sideloading on a Fire Stick or installing from the TV app store on Android TV. The 4K cast option sits in the paid tier. Ads appear in the receiver UI between sessions.
Pricing:
- Free: Full receiver, 1080p, ad-supported
- Paid: A monthly or yearly subscription unlocks 4K casts and removes ads
- vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Reverses the install location, no phone-side ad load, requires TV-side hardware
Migrating from Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Install AirScreen on the receiver device. On the phone, use whichever cast button is native to the app you're casting from. No phone-side install needed.
Bottom line: Pick AirScreen if your TV is older or budget and the missing piece is on the TV side, not the phone.
Screen Mirroring, best for whole-screen mirroring on most Smart TVs
Screen Mirroring by Smart Dato is the closest functional twin to Smart TV Cast para Chromecast. Screen Mirroring vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast keeps the same one-tap mirror flow and the same brand-discovery pattern, with a slightly lighter UI and a less aggressive premium prompt.
The app discovers Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense, TCL, and most other Smart TV brands without account setup, then mirrors the whole phone display, including the parts most other cast apps don't, like notifications and the keyboard. The use case is anything that doesn't have a dedicated cast button: app demos, photo presentations, mobile games, or a quick look at a website on the big screen.
Where it falls short: DRM video still doesn't work, which is a limitation of the mirror approach, not the app. Some quality presets sit behind the paid tier. Ads appear after sessions.
Pricing:
- Free: Full mirror, ad-supported
- Paid: A weekly or yearly subscription unlocks higher-quality presets and removes ads
- vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Comparable feature set, lighter ad load, less aggressive upsell
Migrating from Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Install, accept the network permission, pick your TV from the list. The flow is nearly identical.
Bottom line: Pick Screen Mirroring if you want a Smart TV Cast clone with a lighter upsell.
TV Cast Anyview, best for a close, clean replacement for the same workflow
TV Cast Anyview by Soulapps Studio targets the same general audience as Smart TV Cast para Chromecast but keeps the free tier broader. TV Cast Anyview vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast mirrors the screen, casts local photos and music, and pipes web video through the app's built-in browser, all without the recurring premium prompts.
The Anyview part of the name refers to Hisense's brand of cast protocol, but the app supports far more than Hisense: Chromecast, Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, LG, Sony, and most DLNA renderers all show up in the target list.
Where it falls short: Banner ads sit at the bottom of the screen during use, occasionally interstitial. Local files limited to standard codecs in the free tier. DRM-protected video does not cast.
Pricing:
- Free: Full mirror and cast, ad-supported
- Paid: A one-time or monthly upgrade removes ads and unlocks 4K casting on supported targets
- vs Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Free tier feels more complete, premium upsell is gentler
Migrating from Smart TV Cast para Chromecast: Install, scan for targets, pick your TV. The setup takes under a minute.
Bottom line: Pick TV Cast Anyview if the SensusTech-style workflow already works for you and you just want fewer ads.
How to choose
Start with what you cast most often. If it's Netflix, Disney+, Globoplay, Spotify, or YouTube, those apps have their own cast button and Google Home is the only app you need to set up the target once. Trying to mirror DRM-protected video through any third-party screen-cast tool ends in a black rectangle.
If the answer is local files, LocalCast gives the cleanest playback and subtitle handling for most people, and BubbleUPnP is the upgrade path for anyone with a real media library, a NAS, or a Plex server.
For quick whole-screen mirroring, Screen Mirroring and TV Cast Anyview are the closest direct replacements with lighter ad loads. AllCast wins if you're casting to a mix of consoles and TV brands.
AirScreen is the right pick only when the TV itself is the problem: an older or budget set that doesn't natively accept casts. A Fire Stick running AirScreen costs less than most subscriptions and turns the whole TV into a multi-protocol target.
Stay on Smart TV Cast para Chromecast only if you already paid for the premium tier and the ad pattern doesn't bother you. For most other readers, two installs cover everything: Google Home for native cast targets, plus one of LocalCast, Screen Mirroring, or TV Cast Anyview for the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Netflix not work with screen-mirror cast apps?
Netflix uses Widevine L1 DRM to protect its video. A third-party screen-mirror layer cannot capture the protected video buffer, so the TV shows a black rectangle while the audio still plays. The fix is to use Netflix's own cast button inside the Netflix app, which routes the stream directly to the Chromecast or smart TV.
Is there a free Smart TV Cast para Chromecast alternative without ads?
Google Home is free and shows no ads, but only works with Chromecast and Google TV targets. For other brands, the free tiers of LocalCast, AllCast, and Screen Mirroring each have ads in some form; one-time paid upgrades remove them.
How do I cast a phone screen to a non-smart TV?
Plug a Chromecast, Fire Stick, or Roku stick into the HDMI port, then cast to that. For Fire Sticks specifically, AirScreen turns the stick into a multi-protocol receiver that accepts Chromecast, AirPlay, and Miracast all at once.
Which app casts local videos the best?
LocalCast for most people, BubbleUPnP for users with a media library or a NAS. Both stream the file directly to the TV rather than mirroring the phone, which means sharper playback and a phone that can lock its screen mid-stream.
Can I cast to multiple TVs at once?
Most apps in this list send to one target at a time. For multi-room audio specifically, Google Home creates speaker groups across Chromecast Audio and Google Nest devices. Video to multiple TVs simultaneously usually needs a dedicated Plex or Jellyfin server with one cast session per TV.
